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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2016)
NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | April 15, 2016 | PAGE 7 Sheet Metal Workers learn about mesothelioma Figure One: Reports filed by industry sector 7,636 HOSPITALIZATION REPORTS 16% 26% Other* Manufacturing 3% Oil and Gas Extraction 5% Wholesale Trade 6% Health Care and Social Assistance 6% Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 19% Construction 8% 11% Retail Trade Transportation and Warehousing 2,644 AMPUTATION REPORTS 11% 4% Other* The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) has partnered with the Mesothe- lioma Applied Research Foundation to better educate sheet metal work- ers about mesothelioma and assist with treatment in the case of diagno- sis. SMOHIT was founded in 1986 to address the impact of asbestos ex- posure on those working in the sheet metal industry. To date, more than 55,000 sheet metal workers have been screened. The rare cancer is primarily caused by asbestos exposure, and patients typically aren’t diagnosed until 20 to 50 years after their expo- sure. Of the 3,000 new diagnoses in the United States annually, most of them are either pleural or peritoneal. Pleural mesothelioma, the most common form, grows like a rind around the lining of the lungs. Peri- toneal mesothelioma develops in the lining of the abdomen. The Research Foundation is a nonprofit that provides research funding, education, support and ad- vocacy for patients diagnosed with mesothelioma. It attends many of SMOHIT’s mesothelioma screen- ings at union halls and training cen- ters across the country to help work- ers and calm any fears surrounding screenings and diagnosis. Just like with many forms of can- cer, the earlier the diagnosis and treatment, the better the outcome. “A diagnosis is no longer a death sentence,” said Randall Krocka, SMOHIT administrator. SMOHIT also monitors the health of sheet metal workers as it relates to workplace exposures and hazards; it provides safety informa- tion and training related to best safety practices on and off the job; it advocates for the health and safety of its members with government agencies and through allied organi- zations; and it provides diet and ex- ercise information to address the health and wellness of union mem- bers. The organization works directly with the International Training Insti- tute (ITI) to provide training pro- grams for the unionized sheet metal industry. For more information on SMO- HIT, go to smohit.org or call 703- 739-7130. Oil and Gas Extraction 4% ...OSHA reporting Transportation and Warehousing 4% From Page 3 Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 5% Retail Trade 57% 5% Manufacturing Wholesale Trade 10% Construction YEAR ONE OF OSHA’S SEVERE INJURY REPORTING REQUIREMENT * Other industry sectors include: Accommodation and Food Services; Other Services (except Public Administration); Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Public Administration; Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation; Information; Utilities; Real Estate and Rental and Leasing; Educational Services; Finance and Insurance; and Management of Companies and Enterprises. ployers could have abated them in straightforward, cost-effec- tive ways, such as by providing fall protection equipment, in- stalling guarding over danger- ous machinery, or clearly mark- ing pathways. To learn more about how to report injuries, go to www.osha. gov/report.html. Former Massey Energy CEO gets year in prison for blast that killed 29 miners Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blank- enship was sentenced to a year in federal prison and fined $250,000 for conspiracy to willfully violate mine health and safety standards at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine, located in Raleigh County, W. Va. The UBB mine was the site of an explo- sion April 5, 2010, that killed 29 workers. United Mine Workers of America Presi- dent Cecil Roberts said 52 peo- ple have been killed at Massey mines while Blankenship was CEO. “The penalty he has re- ceived means he will get one week per death. That’s a trav- esty,” Roberts said. Roberts said Blankenship de- serves to go to jail “for that is surely where he belongs. And although this sentence will not begin to make him atone for his crimes, there is a higher court he will answer to someday, and I have complete faith that the jus- tice he receives there will be more than adequate.” U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez called it a clear case of the punishment not fit- ting the crime. “This sentence is the maxi- mum allowable under the law, but regrettably, the criminal pro- visions of the Mine Act are far too weak to truly hold account- able those who put miners’ lives at risk,” he said. During the trial, in which jury selection began on Oct. 1, 2015, and the jury returned a guilty verdict on Dec. 3, 2015, the jury heard evidence from 27 wit- nesses. Many were coal miners who worked at the Upper Big Branch mine prior to the 2010 explosion, and they testified in detail from their firsthand knowledge of the unsafe work- ing conditions at UBB, viola- tions of U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulations, and organized ef- forts to obstruct and interfere with MSHA inspectors.
